Most people get annoyed the moment ads interrupt their favorite movie or TV show. The reality is that most commercials are forgettable, but every now and then one comes along that becomes a cultural phenomenon. Take Coca-Cola’s beloved New Year’s commercials, for example – people actually look forward to those every single year because they capture the magic of the season.

Another commercial that achieved legendary status is ‘The Caveman’ by Geico, which first hit screens in 2004. It features a prehistoric man and was designed to sell car insurance. The company reportedly poured around $600 million into advertising and commercials in 2006 alone, but given how wildly popular ‘The Caveman’ became, that investment was likely well worth it. The creative force behind it was The Martin Agency, which managed Geico’s advertising for many years. According to The New York Times, the agency’s approach has always been to ‘wrap easy-way-to-save-money pitch in humor on the theory that laughter is almost as universal as lack of interest in car insurance.’

Creative director Steve Bassett admitted they believed the ad would do well, but nobody anticipated just how far and wide it would spread.

The face beneath all that prehistoric makeup belongs to actor and producer John Lehr. The scraggly appearance, greasy hair, furrowed brow, and Neanderthal-like features were all the result of heavy prosthetics and makeup. In real life, Lehr is a strikingly good-looking guy and a proud father of two.

His path to Hollywood started long before that iconic commercial. Lehr was working as a teacher at Kilmer Elementary School in Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois, when he began doing improv shows at night. During one of those performances, a FOX scout spotted him and handed him a holding deal with NBC worth $15,000.

It felt like a dream come true, and it swung the doors of Hollywood wide open for him. He landed a guest spot on the iconic series Friends in 1996, and went on to appear in 22 episodes of Jesse alongside Christina Applegate. The two later reunited on the big screen for the romantic comedy The Sweetest Thing.

In 2004, Lehr was invited to audition for ‘The Caveman,’ and he walked in with low expectations. ‘I thought, Huh, okay. I didn’t think much about it. Went in, did it. They let me improvise,’ Lehr shared in an interview with Chicago Now. ‘I think that’s what got me the job. It was really fascinating and fun and paid my bills.’

Once he landed the role, Lehr’s caveman character became something of a celebrity in its own right. Almost overnight, everyone was talking about the commercial.

‘It’s the perfect job for somebody like me, a character actor, because I make a lot of money on these commercials and nobody knows it’s me,’ he told Interviewing Hollywood.

‘It kind of fit with my sense of humor, in that it’s kind of, you play it for real but it’s totally absurd, which is basically my cup of tea. And it worked out.’

‘I’m stunned…I mean, it’s huge! My wife just recently googled GEICO caveman blogs, and it’s unbelievable,’ he added.

‘There’s a whole bunch of people out there who are fascinated with these commercials.’

The commercial launched Lehr’s career into a whole new stratosphere. He even attended the Oscars, though not as himself. He showed up fully transformed as The Caveman.

‘They sent me to the Oscars in full makeup and cast a babe model to be my date on the Red Carpet,’ he recalled in an interview with Forbes.

‘The funny thing was that all the stars wanted to take pictures with me. Gary Busey, John Voight, all of them. And this gorgeous actress comes up and starts hitting on me. I drop character and say, You realize I’m not really a caveman. I’m an actor with hair glued on, and I’m married. She goes, I don’t care. Let’s have sex.’

These days, Lehr runs his own production company called Howler Monkey Productions, and in addition to acting, he has built a solid career as a producer.

Lehr is happily married to his wife Jennifer Lehr, and together they share a son and a daughter.

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